Navigating the world of standards and regulations: How to create legally compliant technical documentation for the EU market

The presentation focuses on the creation of legally compliant technical documentation for the European market. Technical documentation, such as user manuals or labels and packaging of products, is an essential part of product safety and a precondition for the free and safe movement of goods in the European Single Market. Many technical communicators create great content yet fail to adequately ensure legal compliance. They may not know how to research for the right standard and may lack the understanding of how regulations, directives, laws, and standards correlate – or why it is important to comply with them. In order to create legally compliant technical documentation, technical communicators must be familiar with the requirements contained therein and be able to implement them effectively. The implementation of standards may help technical communicators to work more efficiently, effectively, and to adhere to the requirements of legal compliance. Standards reflect the state of the art, which may be used in litigation. By declaring standards as the foundation of orders, standards help clarify contractual relationships and delivery obligations. So how do technical communicators go about implementing the necessary legislation to make their content legally compliant?